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Rocca delle Macie 2008 Ser Gioveto

Posted by Keith Wallace

Super Tuscan Wine Review

I often describe Italian wines like this as a conversation between Italian winemakers and wine drinkers in America. We ask for a taste of the old country, and they respond with a bottle like this. While it is thoroughly and completely Italian in style, it is also thoroughly understood the American love of Napa Valley, expensive oak, and big, bold flavors.

It’s a cringe-worthy analogy, but I think comparing this wine to a  muscle car is spot-on.  Aromas of espresso, Cuban cigars, and dark fruits turn jammy and smoke-fueled as this beast revs up. On the palate, red fruits squint through sweet vanilla while speeding into hills of luxurious texture. Fumes of lead pencil and burning leather are barely noticeable as this burly wine finishes with a roar of sweet chocolate and strawberries.  Mostly Sangiovese with a ten spot each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Rocca Delle Macie 2008 Ser Gioveto
Rocca delle Macie 2008 Ser Gioveto

Wine Rating: 91 Points

A very good Super Tuscan. Strongly recommended.

Winery Background

He was an unlikely man to found a winery, then as now. Italo Zingarelli was an Italian boxer in the early part of the 20th Century. His ability to take a punch came in handy as he caught the eye of someone in the fledgling movie industry in Italy. He took a job as a stuntman for movies and never looked back. He rose through the ranks of Italywood and started producing western all’italiana (spaghetti western) movies. His career was hugely successful and spanned over forty years, from 1945 to 1995.

Did I mention he also founded a winery? In 1973, he took an old 14th-century property and rebuilt it into a winery. He named the winery after the state of the property when he bought it: a pile of rocks, Rocca Delle Macie in Italian.  By 1978, the winery was importing wines around the world.

Over the years, the winery product has been hit or miss, but that has changed over the past few years. Italo’s son Sergio has spent the last decade modernizing the production and honing in on quality winemaking. The effort has paid off. The 2008 vintage shows a  great turn for the better for this memorable winery.

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